Joe Biden has said Russia launched a ‘hypersonic missile’ at Ukraine and accused Russian warmonger Vladimir Putin of planning chemical and biological weapons attacks.
The US President warned Moscow of a ‘severe’ Western response if WMDs were used in its brutal war on Ukraine, telling a gathering of American business leaders in Washington on Monday: ‘His [Putin’s] back is against the wall. They are also suggesting that Ukraine has biological and chemical weapons in Ukraine. That’s a clear sign he’s considering using both.’
Biden continued: ‘They’re wreaking havoc on on the, on the Russian military, whether it’s their tanks or their helicopters or their aircraft.
‘And if you notice, they’ve just launched their hypersonic missile, because it’s the only thing that they can get through without absolute certainty. It’s, as you all know, it’s a consequential weapon, but with the same warhead on it as any other launched missile – it doesn’t make that much difference except it’s almost impossible to stop it. There’s a reason they’re using it.’
Noting that Russia has recently accused the US of holding chemical and biological weapons in Europe, Biden retorted: ‘Simply not true. I guarantee you. And now Putin’s back is against the wall. He wasn’t anticipating the extent or strength of our unity. And the more his back is against the wall, the greater severity, the tactics he may employ.’
The President spoke after the Kremlin claimed it used its state-of-the-art military hardware to take out a Ukrainian weapons storage facility. The Pentagon on Monday would not confirm the claim.
President Joe Biden confirmed Russia’s use of a hypersonic missile during its invasion of Ukraine
KYIV, UKRAINE – MARCH 21: Firefighters work at site after Russian attacks struck a shopping mall, in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 21, 2022. The Kremlin says it used a hypersonic missile to take out a Ukrainian arms facility
An unexploded rocket is pictured in the cemetery of Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on March 21, 2022
According to one US intelligence estimate, 7,000 Russian troops including four generals have already been killed – more than the number of American troops killed in either the Iraq or Afghanistan wars at 4,825 and 3,576 respectively – and between 14,000 and 21,000 troops have been injured in the fighting. The estimated Russian death toll is of a scale similar to that of the Battle of Iwo Jima, where 6,852 US troops were killed and 19,000 were wounded during five weeks of fighting Japanese forces in the most intense phase of the Pacific theatre of World War Two
Ukraine’s military claims Russia has lost 466 tanks, 115 helicopters, 914 vehicles, 95 aircraft, 213 artillery systems, 44 anti-aircraft weapons and 60 fuel tanks. The information could not be independently verified
Biden’s warning echoed statements made by his administration earlier this month as well as other Western nations, after Russian officials accused Ukraine of seeking to hide an alleged US-backed chemical weapons program.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki tweeted: ‘Now that Russia has made these false claims… we should all be on the lookout for Russia to possibly use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, or to create a false flag operation using them.’
Biden on Monday also reiterated that such an action would prompt a ‘severe’ but so far undefined response from Western allies.
Putin ‘knows there’ll be severe consequences because of the united NATO front,’ he said, without specifying what actions the alliance would take.
At the same event, Biden noted that he had warned Putin of a US response if Russia launched cyber attacks against US critical infrastructure.
‘We had a long conversation about if he uses it, what will be the consequence,’ said Biden, referring to a summit with the Russian leader last year in Geneva.
Earlier in the day, Biden issued a statement warning the US business community of intelligence pointing to a growing Russian cyber threat and urging companies to ‘immediately’ prepare defences.
‘If you have not already done so, I urge our private sector partners to harden your cyber defenses immediately,’ he said, citing ‘evolving intelligence that the Russian government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks’ including in response to Western sanctions over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
‘It’s part of Russia’s playbook,’ he said.
His statement added that the US government would ‘continue to use every tool to deter, disrupt, and if necessary, respond to cyberattacks against critical infrastructure’.
However, he underlined that most critical infrastructure in the country is owned and operated by private entities, which cannot be compelled to take specific cyber security measures.
Some military experts questioned why the Russians would use the weapon, if not to use Ukraine as a test run and send a political message.
The missiles are believed to fly at ten times the speed of sound, and be able to evade air defenses.
Biden lauded companies who are pulling out of Russia in response to its invasion. The U.S. slapped sanctions on Russian energy companies, but not on entities that do business with Russia.
‘I’m pleased to see American companies stepping up and doing their part in what you’re doing in terms of donating to Ukraine, and winding down your operations without anybody requesting – I want to make that clear – you’re on your own winding down operations in Russia. not all but many have, not only you but around the world.’
He spoke of the upcoming emergency meeting of NATO that Biden will attend Thursday in Brussels. ‘But one thing I’m confident knowing Putin fairly well, as well as I guess another leader can know one another is that he was counting on being able to split NATO he never thought NATO would stay resolved,’ he said.
Biden also further elevated concerns about a potential Russian cyber attack on U.S. targets.
‘But look, today my administration issued a new warnings that based on evolving intelligence, Russia may be planning a cyber attack against us,’ Biden said. ‘As I said, the magnitude of Russia’s cyber capacity is fairly consequential and it’s coming.’
Biden and White House officials met with top CEOs Monday including Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan and Darren Woods of ExxonMobil
Biden also accused Putin of setting up ‘false flag’ operations by asserting that the U.S. had ‘biological as well as chemical weapons in Europe – simply not true.’
He spoke after top officials including Biden met with 16 CEOs to discuss energy, food, and manufacturing in the wake of the invasion, the White House confirmed.
‘They conveyed the Administration’s commitment to continue imposing heavy costs on Putin to degrade Russia’s war machine and support the people of Ukraine, while taking concrete actions to mitigate the price increases on American consumers caused by Putin’s action. Participants also discussed the need to work together to address Putin’s disruptions to global markets and supply chains, especially for energy and agricultural commodities, and identify alternative sources of supply for key goods. The private sector and the Administration committed to close communication and coordination going forward.’
Taking part were the heads of ExxonMobil, Bank of America, ConocoPhillips, JP MOrgan, Land O’Lakes, Cargill Inc, and other firms, Reuters reported.
They spoke about supply chain issues. Attending were national security advisor Jake Sullivan, Economic Council Director Brian Deese, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
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